Guest post by Susannah Perez
If the cup fits, wear it... If it doesn't, tell that fitter to go jump!
Chances are, if you have been to the high street for a bra fitting, you’ve walked away unhappy with the service. Couple that with being a woman who doesn’t fit between the 32B-38DD ‘norm’ that so many lingerie chains and department stores like to shoehorn people into, you’re even more likely to be feeling deflated and that your chest is a little odd. Well, let me tell you ladies: it’s not you, it’s them.
Most fitters come up short when it comes to fitting smaller busts, whether through lack of training or experience, or the desire to make a sale. So, here is where they get it wrong, from a fitter* that cares about boobs, large and small!
- “Don’t worry about the back band.” Step one in finding a great bra is to find your correct size – if you’re being shoved into a 32A because that’s the smallest size they carry, walk on out. If you measure up as, say, a 28 back, you should be wearing a 28 back bra to get the support, shape and comfort you want – same if you’re a 40 and they’re trying to put you in a 34.
- “You don’t need a bra.” Every woman’s breasts need support – whether you’re an AA or a FF – and, small or large, most of us don’t necessarily find going braless a liberating experience. Besides, why should you have to miss out on cute and sexy undies?
- “You don’t need an underwire, they’re only for bigger busts.” Smaller busts are lucky to be naturally more resistant to the effects of gravity, but they still need a little help on staying perky. If you feel most comfortable and supported with an underwire, don’t let anyone else tell you otherwise.
- “We’ll get you something padded.” Small boobs don’t always want, and definitely don’t ‘need’ mountains of foam, gel and air in their bras. We may want to have sexy, va-va-voom going out bras, but we also want cute, everyday bras – and, believe it or not, fitters, many women are happy with their smaller bust, just as it is!
- “You’ve not got enough to have cleavage.” A good, well fitted bra should give you the support and shape you want – yes, even the ones without padding. Cleavage isn’t classified as Jordan-esque spillage, it’s simply the figure you get from a bra that fits.
- “You won’t find anything that’s not a training bra.” Simply a terrible shame tactic to try and get you to purchase something. As readers of this blog will know, it is possible with a little persistence to find grown-up lingerie that comes in smaller sizes.
- “We do these fab chicken fillets…” If the bra needs fillets to ‘fit’ you, it doesn’t actually fit, and the fitter suggesting this probably means that they don’t carry your true size. For many, there is a time and a place for fillets, but the fitting room is not it.
- “You can’t be an A if you’re a 40 back.” Women come in all shapes and sizes, so whether you’re a size 8 or a 18, it’s perfectly possible to be an A cup. If there’s a 1in difference between your true underbust measurement and overbust measurement, you’re an A. ½in, you’re a AA. Less than ½in and you’re a AAA. Simple!
Have you heard any other awful quips from fitters about smaller busts? Let us know in the comments!
*Susannah worked fora high street lingerie store for almost 4 years. She says, “I had an amazing manager. She previously worked for a lingerie boutique and was determined to pass her fitting knowledge on to the rest of the store. I caught the fitting bug and am trying to share it with others now!”
